CPM calls for judicial probe into power purchase deals, says CM directly involved in corruption

Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday called for a judicial probe by a High Court judge into the power purchase deal, which he said "would have imposed a huge financial burden on the state in the name of a fake power crisis". Pinarayi said that only a judicial enquiry could comprehensively probe a case in which the Chief Minister was directly involved.

CPM state secretary MV Govindan, too, on Tuesday called for a judicial enquiry into the issue. During a media interaction, Govindan said that Chief Minister VD Satheesan had deliberately tried to hoodwink the public by lying about a power crisis in Keralam.

Pinarayi termed the deal an attempted "loot". "With the cancellation of the GNA deal, what has come to light is a major loot that was nearly pulled off by the state government by spreading the falsehood that there was a power crisis in the state," the Opposition Leader said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

Moreover, Pinarayi said that the deal was struck by the Chief Minister himself. "The Chief Minister's decision to intervene directly to award the contract at a higher cost to a private intermediary platform that is not a power producer, or even a power trader, by brushing aside the concerns of KSEB and flouting tender norms is blatant corruption," Pinarayi said. He said that it was mysterious that even the Electricity Minister was kept in the dark about the deal and cited this as proof that there was a complete breakdown of collective responsibility in the Cabinet.

Pinarayi further alleged that it was through the Chief Minister's Office that 200 MW was secured from the private company VEN Global at ₹11 per unit. "This deal, which was done without tender or the approval of the State Electricity Regulatory Commission, is also equally suspicious," Pinarayi said. He said that all of this suggested that external interests were working through the Chief Minister's office. Govindan, on the other hand, said that a "power group" headed by the Chief Minister was indulging in corruption by undermining the powers of the ministers.

Pinarayi said that the Chief Minister was now attempting to escape by scapegoating officials. "But he has no choice but to answer serious questions," Pinarayi said. "What was the intention behind entering into a costly agreement without even assessing whether there was a shortage of power," he said.

The Opposition Leader said that the CM had still not responded to his earlier demand to release all the files and documents related to the power purchase deal.